[Solved] Apple iPhone iOS Update Bricked My iPhone - How to Rescue it?

Q: I've just upgraded to iOS new version and phone is bricked. No phone calls no iMessage and not possible to connect to iTunes.
Almost no apps are working and updating them that works takes forever.
Really don't want to do a full factory restore with the latest iCloud backup.
Any chance that this can be fixed either with a beta or restore before the update?

This is a really frustrating problem when we rely too much on our phones and suddenly they brick. iOS 13, iOS 14, iOS 15, iOS 16, and iOS 17 are both major releases of the iOS mobile operating system by Apple Inc. Apple has released lots of software updates in recent years. It seems that some people face updating issues. Many announced new features and performance improvements attracted users to upgrade the system. However, there are some problems that occurred when updating iOS 14/15/16 or iOS 17.

How to fix a bricked iPhone caused by iOS update failure? In this guide, we show you three different ways to recover your iOS system.

What is a bricked iPhone?

Before we repair the bricked iPhone, let us know about "bricked". Generally speaking, brick means not working. It won’t turn on or seems to be "bricked". There are many different issues, such as iPhone stuck verifying updates, iPhone stuck on the Apple logo, stuck in iTunes restore mode, stuck on DFU mode, stuck on boot loop, and more. There is a good chance that your iPhone is functional and you can wake your iPhone up using gentle ways.

Basic Notice： Before trying to repair your iPhone, make sure that your iPhone has enough power during the whole process. Having no idea about the remaining power? To ensure the power is on, charge it for about 10 to 20 minutes.

Method 1, Force Restart your iPhone.

iPhone update bricked the phone problems may not be serious, the updating may be interrupted by a cut off of the power cable when updating on the Mac or PC, or a failed internet connection, etc. Force restart it to check whether it is a pretended brick first.

When you restart your iPhone, the mobile system starts to reboot and you have a great possibility to wake up it. The Restart method you need to apply depends on the model of the iPhone you own. There is a complete guide on which button to press and how to perform a force restart of the iPhone.

Force Restart iPhone with different iPhone models.

For iPhones with FaceID,  iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or later. iPhone SE 2, iPhone SE 3. 

• Quickly press and release the volume up button.
• Quickly press and release the volume down button.
• Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Then let go.
• If your phone doesn't turn on, turn to the below solutions.

For iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus.

Press and hold the side button and the volume down button until you see the Apple logo. If your iPhone 7 doesn't turn on, refer to the below methods.

On your iPhone 6s and earlier, including iPhone SE 1.

Press and hold both the Home button and the side button or the top button until you see the Apple logo. If your iPhone doesn't turn on after a force restart. You might need to reset it.

Sometimes, you may find it is still stuck on the boot loop, remove the iPhone cover and force restart again. The hardcover might stop you from pressing the button effectively. Restart is the primary principle method. Be sure to have a try. If your iPhone doesn't turn on, please refer to the following method.

Method 2, Restore with iTunes/Finder.

Step 1. Turn off your iPhone. And connect your iPhone to Finder or iTunes.

Step 2. Put your iPhone in recovery mode.

iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE 2, SE 3.

Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Then press and hold the side button until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus.

Press and hold the top button and the column down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPhone 6S or earlier, including iPhone SE1.

Press and hold both the Home and the top buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

Step 3. Update or Restore.

When the Restore option or Update option appears, choose Update. Wait for your computer to download the software for your device. If the download takes more than 15 minutes and your device exits the recovery mode screen, let the download finish, then put it in recovery mode again.

If it won't fix, repeat it and choose Restore.

Note: Choosing Restore will delete all your information and data on your iPhone. Pay attention to it that the restore is a factory reset. However, if you have former backup files in iTunes, you can restore your iPhone to how it was when you last backed up it.

Method 3, Fix with iOS System Recovery.

Use this iOS System Recovery to repair your iPhone. iOS System Recovery can easily restore your bricked iPhone back to normal. It can unbrick the iPhone in several minutes. For a bricked phone

How to Fix a Bricked iPhone Updating to iOS 17/16/15 version?

Step 1, Download iOS system recovery and install it on your Mac or Windows PC. After launching it, click iOS system recovery.

Step 2, Connect your iPhone to a PC with a USB cable, you can see that it can fix 50+ iPhone issues. Click the “Start” button.

Step 3, Choose Advanced Mode.

When you get your iPhone bricked, the software may crash, and you'll need to fix it by wiping and resetting it on the program.

Step 4. Put the bricked iPhone in Recovery mode to let the app detect it.

Turn off your iPhone first. Keep your device connected and wait until the recovery mode screen appears:

iPhone 8 or later, including iPhone SE 2/3: Press and quickly release the volume up button. Press and quickly release the volume down button. Then, press and hold the side button until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold the top (or side) and volume down buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

iPhone 6s or earlier, including iPhone SE 1 or earlier: Press and hold both the Home and the top (or side) buttons at the same time. Keep holding them until you see the recovery mode screen.

Step 4. Download the firmware and Unbrick the iPhone. Hit Repair.

When the iPhone is in recovery mode successfully, Hit Start to download the firmware you select.

Wait during the downloading process.

Then you can check your iPhone screen and its status. A functional iPhone will be switched on! The window shows your iPhone status and basic info including iPhone status. If your iPhone is normally open, Congratulations! Disconnect it from your computer and set it up. The app has got it done to normal in a few seconds.

Video Tutorial:

Summary:

Before upgrading to the iOS new version, you had better back up your iPhone data entirely. Though the iOS(iPhone) update is tempting, there are risks of missing your data or errors occurring during the updating process. If you accidentally run into the problem of a bricked iPhone when the iPhone updates, this guide will help you to arouse your iPhone and recover it to a normal state.